Local Music

Thursday on RadioWest, we continue our Local Music series with singer-songwriter Joshua James. A Nebraska native, James found both his musical inspiration and his urban-homestead-on-the-range when he moved to Utah a decade ago. He’s since released a number of critically-acclaimed records that showcase his vibrant sonic palette, incredible vocal range and diverse musical inspirations. James’ folksy indie Americana tunes are drawn from his life on the farm, where birth, growth, death, decay and harvest all tell their own stories.

You hear a lot about the Provo music scene these days, and for lots of good reasons. The band Polytype is one of those reasons. You could classify them as electronic indie music—heavy on the synthesizers, heavy on the effects processors—but they also play the standard rock instruments, guitar and bass. A lot of people say Polytype’s sound reminds them of Radiohead, and it’s a sound that, until now, Provo had never produced. Polytype joins us in-studio Wednesday to explore how the Provo music scene is evolving, and, of course, to play some of their music. 

Provo-based band Book on Tape Worm’s music has been called "slumber-pop," but not because it will lull you to sleep. Their songs are lush and melodic, and, like the best dreams, they sweep from soothing tranquility to energetic grandeur. Book on Tape Worm released their eagerly anticipated first album late last year, and they’ll join us on Thursday to talk about their music and about their Slumber Party concerts. We’ll also talk to Austen Diamond of City Weekly and Velour Gallery’s Kaneischa Johnson about the best local music in 2012.

The Layton-based band Secret Abilities has some creative descriptions for its brand of pop punk. They say it’s like a bowl of mac ‘n cheese with cut-up hot dogs and a glass of Kool-Aid. Or they say they play “spooky, broken rock ‘n roll for lovers.” Whatever they play, lead singer Davin Abegg wants his band’s music to be fun and catchy. He also says it’s a kind of therapy, not unlike religion. On Wednesday, Abegg and Secret Abilities are in-studio to talk about their music and what it means to “believe in rock ‘n roll.”

After serving his LDS mission in China, Eric Chipman shipped a great big Chinese zither harp, or guzheng, home to Salt Lake City. He didn’t exactly know how to play it, but he ended up incorporating the guzheng into the folky bluegrass he writes. Chipman then rounded up some musician friends, got a hold of some more traditional Chinese instruments and formed the band Matteo. The band’s four members recently returned from a trip to China, where they learned to better play their instruments and the Chinese music that gives the band its unique sound. Matteo is playing in the RadioWest studio on Wednesday and they’ll chat with Doug about their sonic smelting of Eastern and Western music.

Thursday we’ve got the Salt Lake trio Bullets & Belles in studio to chat and play some tunes as part of our Local Music series. It’s hard to pin down the band’s unique sound, but neo-doo-wop-folk isn’t far from the mark. Bullets & Belles’ music features sparse instrumentation—little more than guitar and hand percussion—married to sublime three-part vocal harmonies and deeply-felt poetic lyrics that reflect on subjects like the brevity of youth, the war in Afghanistan and a mysterious California beach town.

We're cramming all six members of the Salt Lake City-based band L'anarchiste into the studio on Wednesday as part of our Local Music series. The music of L'anarchiste began as a one-man project in Rob LeCheminant's basement. As great as his solo-produced debut EP is, it's not much fun to go to a concert to see a guy hit the play button on his computer. So LeCheminant recruited five musicians to help perform his densely structured take on indie folk. We'll talk to L’anarchiste and survey new local bands and albums.

Thursday, we've got the Provo-based band Desert Noises in studio as part of our local music series. A lot of musicians are dedicated to their music and try to make a splash - but Desert Noises has gone all-in. The four members quit their jobs and they spent six months last year playing around the country. They're hitting the road again at the end of the month for a 16-city-tour, but first they'll join us to talk about evolving as a band and to play some of their newest songs.

As new bands scramble for on-line attention with digital downloads, the Provo-based duo The Moth & The Flame are taking a different tack. Brandon Robbins and Mark Garbett aren't just about making music. They also want to create an aesthetic around their debut CD. They've called the cover art the opening track of their album and to make sure you see it, you can only buy their music in its physical form. Thursday, they'll join us in studio to talk about their collaboration and play their music.

Since Andrew Milne, Jared Phelps and Sammy Harper formed Spell Talk four years ago the band has quickly become one of the biggest fish in Salt Lake's admittedly small-pond music scene. They first drew crowds with a brand of droney, blues-inflected psych rock, but their latest release, Touch It, features the band's new sound: rock n' roll, raw, gritty and unadulterated. Spell Talk will play live in the RadioWest studio on Tuesday, and we'll review the best in local albums from the year that was.